


Let That Base Line Move Ya

by Mikkal



Series: I Think I Found My Hallelujah [3]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/F, Flarrow Femslash Week, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2018-05-07 05:21:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5444735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikkal/pseuds/Mikkal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p> It’s a pen and a sword crossed over each other. It’s not the most elaborate soulmark she’s ever seen, but it’s not the simplest either. The lightning bolt on Barry’s shoulder, just a black outline on his skin, is simple. There’s no color on his, but hers, she’s got purple ink dripping from the tip of the pen and the sword has a white jewel on the pommel. </p>
</blockquote>
            </blockquote>





	Let That Base Line Move Ya

            It’s a pen and a sword crossed over each other. It’s not the most elaborate soulmark she’s ever seen, but it’s not the simplest either. The lightning bolt on Barry’s shoulder, just a black outline on his skin, is simple. There’s no color on his, but hers, she’s got purple ink dripping from the tip of the pen and the sword has a white jewel on the pommel.

            “Iris, you’re going to be late,” Eddie says from behind her.

            She jumps, her heart at her throat, and whirls around to see one of two of her flatemates leaning against her doorframe, wearing a loose pair of sweats and a black tank top. He’s got a darkening hickey on his throat and she chokes on a laugh. “I hope you plan on wearing a turtleneck today. That’s pretty impressive.”

            His hand goes to the spot, rolling his eyes. “Thanks, I’ll let Barry know.” He taps his wrist where his watch usually is. “For real, though. You’ve been nervous all week about your first day at CCPN and now you’re going to be late if you don’t leave now.”

            “There’s just something weird—I _feel_ weird.” To be honest, weird doesn’t even _begin_ to describe it. It’s like there’s butterflies in her stomach, but its hollow at the same time, like it is when she’s dreading something. But she’s…not? There’s nothing to dread except coworkers hating her or something, but she likes to think she’s a very likeable person… “I don’t know if I can do this.”

            Suddenly Eddie’s right there, her hands on her shoulders, his blue eyes hold way too much belief. “You got this,” he says seriously. “Do I need to get Barry in here to tell you this? He’ll be more annoying about it than me.” She can see a peek of a lightning bolt on his shoulder, dark against his pale skin.

            Iris shakes her head, taking a deep breath. “No, no. I got this.” She lightly shoves him away. “Go back to your boyfriend before he comes looking for you. Tell him I say bye.”

            He kisses her cheek softly. “You’re Iris West,” he says. “Iris _Best_.”

            She rolls her eyes and grabs her purse, not even waiting for him to leave her room before she’s heading out of the apartment. She’s got this, she can do this. She _is_ Iris West. The only thing keeping her from doing something is herself and she’s not going to let that happen—even with the way her stomach rolls, like an ocean in the storm, getting worse and worse the closer she gets to the building that houses the number one news source in the city.

            She gets a blast of warm air when she walks in, and the smell of ink and bagels. Everyone’s doing something, but there’s also chit-chat going on that immediately loosens the tension in her shoulders. Okay, they seem friendly enough.

            “Iris West?” She glances around to see a pretty blonde approach her, smiling wide with bubblegum pink glasses. “You’re Iris West, right?”

            Iris shakes her offered hand, trying not to squeeze too hard. “Y-yeah.” She clears her throat and straightens her back just a little. “Yes,” she says more clearly. “I’m Iris West.”

            “Felicity Smoak,” the woman replies. “I’m in charge of the tech column. Caitlin asked me to show you around.” Her smile is so pretty; Iris is kind of blown away. “You’ll be in charge of all things superhero. Black Canary, Cobalt Blue, Flash, Red Arrow, all that jazz. I heard there’s a new one, Dr. Light, in the mix now. What do you know about her? Is she as cool as she looks on tv? Have you met her yet?”

            “No, not yet,” Iris says, feeling a little overwhelmed, but her rambling reminds her of Barry and she can work with that. “I want to though. The way she beat Girder the other day was amazing.”

            “Oh, hey, Linda! Come meet Iris!” Felicity waves at a yet another gorgeous woman walking back from the café in the corner (is that a Starbucks?). “She’s our resident sports reporter,” she tells Iris. “And she’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet…and she take tae-kwon-do.” That last part is a whisper, like she’s warning Iris about something. “Linda Park, Iris West. Iris, Linda.”

            Linda sets down her coffee first before turning around, hand extended. “Hi, nice to me—. Holy shit.”

            Iris’ heart feels like it’s about to beat out of her chest, her veins like fire. “You feel it too?” she whispers. Linda nods wordlessly, her gaze drifting down Iris’ face to her collar bone—her collar bone that her low-cut shirt is showing off, thus showing off her soulmark.

            She reaches for the collar of her shirt and tugs it down with a shaking fingers, showing up the identical mark in the exact same place. Linda starts laughing, almost a little hysterically. “Well, better late than never, right?” She takes a step closer, radiating warmth. “It’s so very nice to meet you,” she repeats breathlessly.

[…]

Something’s wrong.

            Iris frowns and rubs her chest, trying to ignore the slight burning sensation. Barry and Eddie are gone on a date night, which translates as superheroing, because they can never get to the actual end of a date without jumping to the call. Her girlfriend—which, even three months later thing of Linda as her girlfriend still makes her heart flutter—Anyway, Linda is visiting family, she’s suppose to come back tomorrow morning. So, she’s home alone, watching the Flash, Cobalt Blue, and Dr. Light fight Captain Cold and Heat Wave in City Central.

            She’s not there in person because Caitlin Snow, her immediate boss, strictly forbid her from fights that involve more than three metahumans, and this fight is _five_. (Normally she wouldn’t follow her rules, but considering she’s still coughing up gross things she’s going to let this one be.). Something must have happened because Cold and Heat Wave aren’t using their normal guns yet they still manage to produce ice and fire. Barry and Eddie never mentioned anything about them becoming metahumans, but they must have.

            Something’s wrong.

            Iris watches the Flash go down with a cry of pain, ice crawling across his torso. Her heart clenches, her stomach swooping, when Barry doesn’t get back up. Cobalt Blue screams something in rage and charges Cold, leaving Dr. Light with Heat Wave.

            She hasn’t officially met Dr. Light yet, Even Barry and Eddie don’t know her civilian identity. Iris knows everyone else, whether they’re Central City heroes or Star City, but Dr. Light hasn’t sat down for a one-on-one with her yet. (That’s what makes her such a go-to person for superheroes, she knows them all staggeringly well, even if she doesn’t advertise she knows their secret identities).

            The superhero stumbles before Heat Wave ever shoots anything even remotely in her direction. Iris’ heart leaps and she leans forward in her seat, like getting closer to the screen will do anything. Dr. Light throws some light beams at him, slightly wobbly, and nails him in the chest. He goes flying backwards, his arms flailing out, fire shooting from his fingertips. Dr. Light doesn’t move in time and catches the flames right in the chest.

            Pain erupts in Iris’ lungs and she doubles over with a gasp, scrabbling at the collar of her hoodie as her throat closes up with the burning feel of acrid smoke. Oh God, oh God, oh God. _What the hell?_

            Cobalt Blue ends the fight, taking down Cold in seconds then turning his rage on Heat Wave and takes him down in minutes. He ties them up for the CCPD and puts his fingers to his ear, calling STAR Labs. Iris sees this all through the tears in her eyes as she gasps for breath.

            The STAR Labs van she knows Harry is behind the wheel of screeches to a halt next to the heroes as the crows begin to converge on them as they realize the danger has passed. Eddie throws up his hands to ward them off, his fingers glowing blue.

            The Flash and Dr. Light are loaded into the van and Iris feels a rush of cold, like the A/C is on full blast. She lunges for her phone, scrambling for it when she knocks it off the table. She follows it to the ground, her hands refusing to work, her fingers numb, her chest tight.

            “Iris—.”

            “Is she okay?” she gasps out. She can sense the ‘ _Who, Dr. Light?’_ on his lips, but she doesn’t let him get them out. “Linda, is she okay?”

            Eddie sighs. “She’s going to be,” he assures her. “She’s got a little bit of an accelerated healing factor. Not to the extent of Barry, but it’ll heal her up pretty quick.” There’s a pause, then a gasp. “Crap, Iris, are you okay? The pain—.”

            “I’m fine,” she says, cutting him off. She’s definitely not, the nerves of her chest are on fire. “I’m coming to STAR Labs.”

            He doesn’t even try arguing.

[…]

Iris is there when Linda’s eyes flutter open. She has one of her hands in both of hers, probably squeezing too tight, but she doesn’t care, just as long as those beautiful brown eyes meet hers. They do and Iris breaks down crying. Everyone, everyone in her life is a hero, super or not, and for once she thought there’d be someone there that would never throw themselves into danger, but not only is there another one, but they’re her _soul mate._

            “Iris?” Linda whispers, frowning, that crinkle between her eyebrows deepening. “How—?”

            “Barry’s the Flash, Eddie is Cobalt Blue,” she says softly. “I felt your pain. Why didn’t you tell me? We’re soul mates, Linda.”

            “I didn’t want you to worry about me,” she says, voice hoarse.

            Iris scoffs. “I’d worry about you either way.” She reaches up and cups her cheek, thumbing over her cheek. “You’re my girlfriend, my soul mate. Even if we didn’t have this connection I’d lose it if something happened to you.”

            Linda makes a sound in the back of her throat. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

            “Please, just don’t do it again?”

            She lets herself be gently tugged from her seat until she’s hovering over Linda, their faces inches apart. Iris closes her eyes, Linda’s breathes washing over her, just trying to grasp onto the relief that Linda is _alive_.

            “Promise,” Linda says. “I promise I won’t.”

            Iris doesn’t say anything else, just presses a kiss to her lips, letting it linger longer than normal, just breathing in the moment, her nerves lighting up a lot more pleasantly than just a few hours ago. Linda cups the back of her neck and pulls her closer.

            “Promise,” she whispers.


End file.
